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Over the last year, I’ve been waging a war on complaints about
email. As CEO of a fashion resale startup, I get a lot of email –
but, to be honest, no one cares how much email I get. Just like
no one cares about how much email you get.

1) Create a “Salesy” filter. Every major email
provider has a filtering tool. Create a folder called Salesy and
filter everything with the word “unsubscribe” into that folder. I
use the term “Salesy” because, by and large, everything that has
an unsubscribe link probably means its coming from a company
trying to do more business with you. The more advanced user can
customize “unsubscribe” with a few other variables like
“unsubscribe, tag1, tag 2” to create better filters with
exceptions. This one trick will turn your inbox back over to you
and the humans who are actually trying to email you.

2) Don't answer email the moment you wake up.
Decide whether you’re a “first thing in the morning” email person
or a “wait 'til later” type. If you’re reading this article,
chances are you’re the former – and so am I – which means we know
how even just one frustrating email can throw off the whole
morning. But here’s the trick: do not respond to emails before
you’ve taken a shower and had breakfast. Read them if you’d like
(I do) but that fresh-out-of-bed time is the time for you to
decide what you want to accomplish that day, not somebody else.
Remember the old adage “your emergency is not my problem”? It’s
the same with email. Immediately getting into an email
conversation with a colleague is the fastest way to derail a
productive morning. So casually look through your inbox, get a
sense of the scope of what’s in front of you, and then decide
your priorities for the day.

3) Email the way you tweet or text. Email came
of age in the PC era to replace snail mail. Back then, emails
were more formal and crafted. But communication has since
changed. We’re busy, trying to juggle more than ever and are
generally distracted. To retain a captive audience, you have to
get to your point – and fast. I typically keep things short and
sweet and think about email like tweeting or texting. Shorter,
punchier, direct messages grab attention and get more timely
responses. Obviously there are exceptions, but next time you’re
starting paragraph three of an email, check yourself. How would
you Tweet it or text it?

4) Opt for a phone call instead. Yes, email is
great for asynchronous communication across time zones and
schedules, but think about how many emails are generated from
within your own building. Spoiler: it’s a lot. I’m not saying
give up on email altogether, but when you’re thinking about that
three paragraph email, it may be time to pick up the phone or
walk to someone’s desk. I also have a rule that if an email chain
has more than five long back-and-forths, someone has to pump the
brakes and pick up the phone. In a world where we’re increasingly
stuck behind monitors and sitting at desks you might find that
your colleagues really like hearing you say “Gotta sec to chat?”

5) Punt it. Often we receive emails that give us
a feeling of dread. Whether it’s “I have absolutely no idea how
to answer this question,” or simply “I just don’t have the time
to deal with it,” – punt it. Nothing good will come from
answering an email rushed or out of frustration. There are apps
like Boomerang for gmail that let you punt emails, getting a
message out of your inbox and setting a day and time you’d like
to be reminded. Surprisingly, many emails you thought were
must-reads turn out to get solved in the due course of other
business.

Do you have any tips that help you manage your inbox?
Please share in the comments section below.